


Welcome to Desolation City

by AroJade (AlleyCatSunflower)



Series: Tales of Westiria [1]
Category: Tales of Berseria, Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, Explanations, Exposition, Gen, Mention of Most Main Characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:34:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26098714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlleyCatSunflower/pseuds/AroJade
Summary: Don't know where you came from or where you're headed, stranger, but since you're here in Desolation City, I'd like to show you around. Don't know much about this place? That's where I come in—they don't call me a storyteller for nothing. Oh, no, don't you worry, I don't need no payment for listening. (Though itwouldbe nice if you was interested enough to rent a room at the Windrider Bar & Inn and stay a while.)
Series: Tales of Westiria [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894909
Kudos: 1





	Welcome to Desolation City

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, this is just a little something I came up with for fun to justify the title of "Tales of Westiria" that's been in my head for a solid four or five years now, and to organize my thoughts on the characters so I might be able to work more with this AU later. (It all began with the mental image of Dezel in a black Stetson.)
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Though this story and world is obviously inspired by the Western genre, I take issue with the usual problematic structures and themes of such stories, so I hope not to replicate them in my own work.

Howdy, stranger. You look a little lost. Need a guide?

Easy, there. It's all right. I may be a storyteller, but I don't charge a cent for first-timers like you; _someone's_ gotta show folks around. Just finished a tour for a couple other travelers, in fact. That native boy there, you see his hair—Mikleo, with the kid holding the map; think his name's Sorey. Did they come with you? No?

Well, ain't that something. I gotta say, I didn't think this town'd come far enough for me to meet three different strangers in one day.

Oh, me? Yeah, I been around awhile. This city's gotten a fair sight bigger since I found gold on the outskirts nigh on forty years ago. Desolation City, they call it. Maybe 'cause it's right on the edge of the wilderness, but I reckon it's 'cause people 'round these parts get the misery. Walking and talking's a surefire way to chase it off. Mind joining me?

That's the spirit! Here, I'll take you to City Hall first, such as it is, show you around. Old man Bartlow's the mayor, in case you didn't know. Got mighty envious of his older brother's position back east and struck out with some ambitious friends to find a good place to make all their own. Mel Mayvin's on his council, and God knows what he does, but he's dead set on making this place a _proper_ city, like someplace back east. Between you and me, I don't even know why he bothered coming out west in the first place.

What's that? Oh, no, those pretty young ladies ain't visitors. They may look out-of-place out in the middle of nowhere like this, but they're as much a part of this town as anyone. Miss Alisha Diphda—that young lady there, the one in pink—she's Bartlow's niece. The redhead next to her is her friend Eleanor, and the taller one… that's her cousin Teresa. As for her, she tries to keep it secret, but everyone knows she's Oscar's half-sister. You'll know, too, if you see him. They look just like each other.

But just between you and me, it ain't folk from big families back east that really make this city what it is. It ain't even the council. It's thanks to the Windriders that this place turned into a real town.

Yeah, Windriders, just like the Windrider Bar & Inn there. Tabatha Baskerville runs the place, but don't you be calling her Tabatha or even Mrs. Baskerville; you be sure you call her _ma'am_. Rumor has it she headed some posse in her hometown. Husband died on the way out here, but most of her friends lived at least long enough to reach this place. Same folks run the inn and Sparrowfeathers', but we'll get to that later.

Oh—looks like Magilou's back in town! There she is, the one dressed all fancy in colors you ain't never seen so bright. I watched her grow up here, but she ran away years ago; too many folks got to thinking she's a witch. Now she travels between towns, bringing news from place to place, all kinds of things her pa'd be ashamed of. Just don't call her Maggie Lou. She likes the sound of the 'Ma' from Margaret better.

Where was I… no, not Sparrowfeathers'… the city council. Arthur Collbrande's only the assistant mayor, but he's more popular than Bartlow by far, though he just got here three years ago. He was s'posed to get here ten years afore that, but there was a raid, and he got separated from his wagon train. Whole story's a little bleak, but everyone knows it by heart around here.

Oh, well, if you insist. Apparently some gal a town or so thataway took him in and they got hitched, but I heard some wild animal killed her while she was carrying his child. He stayed awhile to care for her little siblings, but the last straw was when the kid brother died too, a few years back. Some say it was illness, but the sister says murder. That'd be Velvet, just there, sweeping the bar porch. She don't talk much, but she's filled full up with hate for ol' Arthur.

Speaking of local tragedies, there's a cabin over in that direction, other side of yonder mountain. No one goes there; that's the way to Heldalf's shack. Rumor has it he came out west after his house burned down and killed his whole family. Might've even been arson. That's the most anyone knows about him after eighteen years of him living there.

Well, that, and that he found some baby the natives left in the wilderness and raised her as his own. Little girl, answers to the name of Symonne. Thing is, I think the native folk were right to turn that one out. Everyone knows she picks pockets, but her pa'll kill the man who so much as points a finger at her. Keep an eye on your wallet whenever she's around, but don't even _look_ too hard if you don't want trouble.

Right, back to that council. He ain't in town right now, but Shigure Rangetsu's the sheriff around here—pretty reliable, even though his little brother Rokurou can be a handful. His deputy's Maltran, and their officers are Sergei and Boris Strelka. Don't take it personal if they're suspicious, but just between you and me, look out for Maltran. Anyone so much as scoffs at a female deputy, she'll find a reason to have 'em hanged. She been known to go after people she don't like.

Oh, you see that native lady? That's Seres, running some kinda errand. She works for Arthur, doing Lords know what. Folks have their suspicions, but most of 'em think they live in sin less 'cause she got a son with no father—Laphicet, if I recall—and more 'cause they think that's just how natives are. There ain't as much hatred for 'em out here as back east, but there's some still scared, thinking they got the kinda power only gods and angels oughta have. But they ain't so bad, if you ask me. Their people raise 'em not to use their powers for ill. Humankind can't say the same.

Eizen's native, too, just don't look it; most folks take him for an ordinary blond. Passed as one of us for awhile till folks noticed how the earth responded to him, but they let it slide since he makes himself useful. Retired bandit, if the rumors are true, but he settled down years ago to take care of his baby sister. Or, well, I guess I shouldn't say that. She ain't a baby anymore, if you ask her. Looks just like him, but cuter.

Eh? That one? Oh, he's just Zaveid. Local mercenary. He don't much care for hiding anything about himself. Not the hair, nor his powers, not even his body. Folks either love him or hate him, but you gotta respect him either way. He don't do anything by halves.

Speaking of halves, Lailah there's only half, but she got the native hair—you can see her through the schoolhouse window. She's Seres's cousin, and I hear she's related to Velvet too; you remember her, the gal who works at Windrider's. Anyway, Lailah's the local schoolteacher. Sweet thing, never wants trouble, takes it on herself to teach the young'uns goodness besides their lessons.

Here we are. Sparrowfeathers' General Store, just like I was saying earlier. Eguille was the only one born afore this place was settled, and he was so young at the time he don't remember any other home. The others are Rosh and the Ayn twins, and some former thief, goes by Lunarre. That ain't much of a proper name, so most folks call him Lunatic, maybe Fox if they're feeling generous.

Ah, the proprietress herself! That there's Brad's little girl, Rose—may her pa rest in peace. Brad was Tabatha's boy, the savviest mercenary you ever saw. Died trying to disentangle his daughter from the meanest son of a bitch ever moved out west. Think that kid's daddy sent him away just to be rid of him. The kid had money, and he was real charming at first, but as soon as he got Rose to say she'd marry him, he got real nasty. Brad and his buddy Lafarga went to make him break the engagement, but that kid shot 'em both. Then he went after Rose, but Dezel got in his way. Wound up blind in one eye, but at least he killed the bastard.

Who's Dezel? _That's_ Dezel, but mind you don't look too hard. Been through too much to forgive anyone for anything. His tribe got massacred when he was just a littl'un, so Lafarga took him in and raised him as his own. He grew up real close to Rose, but folks started talking after awhile, so he put himself to work on a ranch instead of in her shop. That don't stop him from spending every spare second he's got in her company, though. Folks ain't stopped talking—he just ain't hearing them as much anymore, living on the outskirts like he does.

Oh, what, you still thinking about that kid? Don't look at me like that; all this news is old. Been peaceful here for quite a while, a good few years at least. Some folk reckon we're about due for something to happen, but I think everything's gonna turn out just fine. Call it a hunch.

So what do you think, friend? How long are you staying?


End file.
